Franziska Augstein

Among the great politicians of the 20th century, Winston Churchill is one of the most enigmatic. His phrase that he had nothing to offer “except blood, sweat and tears”, for example, is now a familiar saying. Churchill is regarded as one of the greatest orators in history, cultivated a lavish lifestyle alongside his political offices as a writer and journalist, and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953. In the 1930s, his political career seemed over, but because he tirelessly warned of the threat posed by Germany, he became Prime Minister overnight while German troops were invading France. He was Hitler’s toughest opponent.

Franziska Augstein studied history, political science and philosophy in Berlin, Bielefeld and at the University of Sussex. In 1996 she completed her doctorate on early racial theories at University College London. She was editor of the FAZ and the Süddeutsche Zeitung and lives in Berlin.